Charles J. Fuschillo Jr.'s posts related to Taxes

With Congress returning to Washington for session today, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick), Chairman of the New York State Senate’s Transportation Committee, once again wrote to Congressional leaders urging them to fully restore the federal commuter mass-transit tax benefit.

Congress allowed the benefit, which helps residents offset their commuting expenses, to be cut nearly in half on January 1st. As a result, commuters are now facing hundreds of dollars in higher costs.

Lawmakers at the state and federal levels say they are fighting to restore a recently expired tax break for commuters that previously saved transit users on Long Island hundreds of dollars a year.

State Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) earlier this month introduced a bill to allow commuters in the state to deduct up to $240 in transit costs from their state taxes -- a move meant to ease the hurt caused when a federal tax benefit for commuters expired Dec. 31.

"The residents of Long Island rely heavily on the Long Island Rail Road," Fuschillo said. "They should not be penalized because Congress can't get their act together."

Legislation Would Ensure that Commuters Receive $240 a Month State Tax Benefit to Help Offset Mass-Transit Costs

With New York commuters facing higher costs following Washington’s failure to extend the pre-tax transit benefit, Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick), is calling for immediate passage of legislation he sponsors to create a permanent state commuter tax benefit to provide savings to commuters who use the Long Island Rail Road and other mass transit.

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick), Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee, today wrote to Congressional leaders urging them to work together to extend the $230 a month federal transit benefit which helps individuals offset their commuting expenses. The $230 a month benefit is scheduled to expire at the end of the year unless Congress approves an extension.

“I am pleased that the Legislature and the Governor worked together in a bipartisan fashion to address the right priorities needed to help our economy grow; cutting taxes, creating jobs, and upgrading our infrastructure. In stark contrast to Washington, which is plagued by partisan gridlock, New York State is addressing the critical issues we face and delivering the results that residents expect and deserve.

Working together, we delivered $690 million in personal income tax relief for over 4.4 million taxpayers, allowing them to keep more of their hard-earned money. Middle-class taxpayers will see the lowest tax rates in 50 years and no New York State resident will see an increase in the income tax rate they are currently paying.

Senator Fuschillo votes "yes" on legislation to cut taxes, create jobs, and upgrade our infrastructure while contrasting New York State's bipartisan cooperation with Washington's partisan gridlock. The actions taken by the State Legislature will:

* Deliver $690 million in personal income tax relief for over 4.4 million taxpayers Click here to read more.

* Eliminate the MTA payroll tax for nearly 80 percent of the businesses currently paying it

Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) announced that the New York State Senate has passed legislation that would create a state spending cap to ease the burden on taxpayers and ensure the state reduces its spending and lives within its budget. In addition, the Senate passed legislation which would require a two-thirds “supermajority” vote of the legislature in order to raise taxes, making it more difficult to increase costs on taxpayers. Senator Fuschillo supported both bills.

State Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (8th Senate District) is reminding Nassau County residents that they have the right to file a grievance if they believe their property has been over-assessed by the Nassau County Department of Assessment.